Changes
by SpyKid18
Summary: What happens after those last four words. (Contains major spoilers for A Year In the Life, so do not read if you have not finished.)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Anyone else as shocked by those last four words as I was? It took me a bit to process, and this story is a part of that. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter One

Rory sat on the gazebo, counting the seconds in the silence that stretched after she told Lorelai that she was pregnant.

 _One._

She knew it was somewhat indulgent to tell her after the wedding, but Lorelai was facing this new beginning, and in her own way, Rory was, too. She knew that becoming pregnant by an engaged man was not at the top of most people's lists – nor hers – but she'd almost felt a sense of relief when the strip turned pink.

 _Five._

Naturally, it was after the panic receded and she'd eaten and thrown up three tin-foil packages of Pop tarts. But, she had a purpose. After a year of being rootless, and lying through her teeth to everyone who cared about her that it was fine and what she wanted, she found herself with the most permanent of roots. She had a tiny person who would ground her for the rest of her life.

 _Ten._

"Are you okay?" Lorelai finally asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm…I'm better than fine. I'm good."

Lorelai turned toward her, hand covering her knee and squeezing gently. "Are you really? You can tell me the truth, kid. I can handle it. Some might say I am particularly equipped to handle this particular truth."

Rory smiled slightly. "I'm okay."

"When did you find out?"

"Three days ago," Rory said. She remembered taking the test inside of Lane's bathroom, her friend just outside the door. When she came out with the pink strip Lane said, "Well, at least you didn't get sand in your you-know-where conceiving it."

"I'm guessing it's Logan's?" Lorelai asked, her tone carefully chosen to not bely any feeling either way on the subject.

Rory nodded and said, "Yeah, we just…he came here a few weeks ago. We said goodbye."

"Have you told him yet?"

For the first time during the conversation, Rory grew uncomfortable. She scratched at the underside of her chin before saying, "No. I haven't."

Lorelai took a deep breath and asked, "Are you going to?"

"I don't know."

"Rory-"

"You did it alone," Rory said, turning suddenly to Lorelai. "You didn't need dad, or anyone else."

"No, I didn't. But, it wasn't easy. There were a lot of difficult times. Hopefully I shielded you from most of it, but it wasn't all sunshine and Brady Bunch variety show reruns."

"I know it wasn't."

"I don't want you to have to go through that. Not if you don't have to."

"I'll have you," Rory said. "And Luke. And grandma." Rory paled at the thought of telling the Gilmore matriarch her news. For the first time since winter of last year, she was relieved her grandfather was no longer with them. "I have people. Good people who will be here for me."

"You need to tell him," Lorelai said.

"He's getting married."

"I know."

"To a French heiress with a name that sounds like it should be a popcorn brand."

"I know."

"I can't tell him. He'll drop everything and come here. I know he will. And then he'll be stuck with-"

"You?" Lorelai said. "For some reason, I don't think he'd be too upset about that."

"I don't want someone to be with me out of obligation. And besides, he's engaged to another woman. That's the plan. He chose her."

"Don't you think the fact that he'd bolt so quickly from that engagement means something?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know I'm not Logan's biggest fan," Lorelai began slowly. "But I don't think you'd need to force his hand to get out of that engagement."

"Why do you say that?"

Lorelai widened her eyes and gestured at Rory's still flat stomach. "How about this, for starters?"

"It doesn't mean anything."

"Uh, as someone who just got married, I would argue having an affair with your college girlfriend very much means something. Don't keep this from him because you're afraid of ruining a relationship that, frankly, already seems pretty screwed."

"We had an arrangement," Rory said stubbornly. "It was just casual fun when I was in town. No strings. It didn't mean anything."

Lorelai gave her a look. "I've heard that before."

"I don't need to tell him. I have a best friend who runs one of the most well- known fertility clinics in the Western hemisphere. I'll just tell people she helped me get pregnant or something. I'm 32. My eggs are reaching their expiration date."

"You need to tell him. I'm not telling you to go and be with him. Honestly, I don't want that for you. I think you deserve better. But, this is his kid. He deserves to know. And this kid deserves to knew its father."

"Hey, Lorelai!" Luke called out, walking toward them. "Come over here! Sookie brought over one of the test cakes for us."

"Don't tell Luke," Rory said. "Not yet, at least. I want to be the one to do it."

Lorelai nodded. "Okay."

She pulled her daughter into a tight hug and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Lorelai held on to her for a few moments, face turned away to hide the tears that welled in her eyes.

* * *

The actual wedding was a Stars Hollow star-studded event, with the entire town nearly coming out to celebrate Luke and Lorelai's wedding. Those present at the earlier private wedding remained silent, grinning wide with the rest as the pair exchanged vows for the second time. Rory spotted her grandmother in the front row, and she was positively beaming. Afterwards, Lorelai cracked, "That Nantucket weather is doing you good. Do they bottle that stuff?"

Emily routinely ignored her and said, "It was a beautiful ceremony."

"Thank you, Mom."

"We're glad you were able to make it on such short notice," Luke said.

Emily looked at Lorelai and said, "I wouldn't have missed it for the world." She paused for a moment and then said, "Of course, since this was announced so quickly, I didn't have a chance to fully prepare your wedding gift. One typically does that for the shower. But, of course, you didn't have one of those either."

"Thank you for pointing that out," Lorelai returned glibly.

"All of that was to say that your gift is on its way. I had Berta FedEx it."

"Wow, FedEx it? Listen to you all up on your postage lingo."

"It's two gifts, actually."

"Two gifts?" Lorelai asked, interest piqued.

"Down girl," Luke said in a low voice.

"Yes, as you know, I had one gift purchased for years," Emily began.

"You've had a gift purchased for years?" Luke asked.

"Yes. I originally purchased it when Lorelai was engaged to that teacher from Chilton. Anyway, I told Lorelai that I would save it for when she actually got married, and here we are."

"You're giving us a gift that you purchased for a different wedding?" Luke asked in disbelief. Lorelai patted him on the arm and said, "Just go with it, babe."

"The second gift is from your father," Emily said, catching her daughter by surprise. Lorelai gripped Luke's arm tightly. "It's from dad? But how –"

"A few weeks before Richard passed, we were going through some of our things and we came upon something that he mentioned we should put aside in the event you and Luke got married."

"Dad put aside a wedding gift for us?" Lorelai asked, her eyes welling with tears for the fourth or fifth time that day.

"He did." She smiled wistfully and added, "That man truly thought of everything. Anyway, you should expect it within the week. If you don't get it by Friday, tell me. Berta told me she got a tracking number, that way we can know where the package is at all times. Isn't that just ingenious?"

"The most. We'll let you know when we get it." She stepped forward and hugged her mother. She smelled different than she remembered. The heavy Chanel No. 5 was replaced by something lighter, floral maybe. In a soft voice she told her, "I'm really glad you're here, Mom."

When she pulled back, Emily's eyes were glassy. Emily sniffed daintily, covering the moment with a quick adjustment of her pearl necklace, and then said, "You two should continue greeting your guests. It's customary to spend some time with everyone."

"You're right," Luke said, sensing that his bride needed someone else to speak at the moment. "We'll see you later."

* * *

"Did you tell her?" Lane asked Rory, handing her a small glass of water with lemon. Not only was it hydrating, but also conveniently resembled a vodka tonic. Rory didn't want to have to explain her lack of drinking.

"I did," Rory said.

"And?"

"She took it like I thought she would," Rory said. "Although, she told me that I should tell him."

"Are you going to?"

"I don't know."

They walked over to the outskirts of the town square where there were less people. They settled on a bench, Rory stretching her feet out in front of her.

"Sometimes I think about my own childhood. Would it have been better if my dad didn't know? I mean, it was great when he was there. But when he wasn't..." Rory shook her head, "…it hurt a lot when he wasn't. I don't want that for my child."

"You think Logan wouldn't be there?"

"I honestly don't know," Rory said. "I mean, he'd be here now. I know that. But he's never been good at responsibility. And this? This is just about the most responsibility that you can get. I don't want him to come here and then leave when it becomes too much. I remember what it was like having a dad who did that. He came when it was convenient, and while that might have been enough for him it wasn't for me."

"Wouldn't you still have rather had him in your life, though? Even if it was only for those short visits?" Lane asked.

Rory knew the answer was yes. She lived for Christopher's random phone calls and short visits, and while the distance between them did hurt, she never begrudged him for them. She loved him unconditionally when she was younger, and Lorelai did her best to not tarnish that. Lorelai never spoke an ill word about him in front of her, even when, in retrospect, she now knew there was tension between her parents.

"I need to think about it more," Rory finally said.

"Okay."

They were quiet for a moment, and then Lane asked, "So, I get to be this kid's cool aunt right? Because, you're Steve and Kwan's cool aunt. It only seems fair that I also, in turn, get to take that role."

Rory smiled slightly. "Who else would get that title?"

"Paris is a type of frightening that could be mistaken for cool."

Rory laughed. "Don't worry, you'll be the cool aunt. We'll just have to find another role for Paris."

* * *

That night Rory sat on her bed, scrolling through her old text messages with Logan. It was just about the most self-destructive thing a person can do in the late hours when pregnant with said individual's baby, but her fingers had a mind of their own. She went all the way to the first text after they'd seen each other in Hamburg. She laid back and held her phone to her chest. She closed her eyes and mulled over the same question that prodded at her since that afternoon in Lane's bathroom. Finally, she sat up, decision made. She sent him a quick text.

 _We need to talk._

Her phone rang almost immediately, Logan's number flashing on the screen. She took a breath before answering the phone.

"Logan, hi."

"You got it, didn't you?"

"I got what?" she stammered, confused beyond all measure.

"I'm so sorry. I just found out about it this morning."

"Found out about what?"

"The wedding invitation. Odette had been asking about any friends from Yale to invite, and I kept putting it off, so she just called Honor and asked her. Naturally, Honor wasn't thinking and gave her your name. I tried to fix it before invitations went out, but I was too late."

Rory almost laughed at the lunacy of this. "You invited me to your wedding?"

"Unintentionally?"

"Logan-"

"I'm sorry, Ace. You obviously do not need to come to the wedding."

"Logan-"

"It was a mistake. Just throw it out when you get it."

"Logan-"

"Or, use it as a dartboard. Wedding invitations make very good dartboards. Colin used to do that every time his dad married another trainer from their gym."

"Logan, I didn't get a wedding invitation I'm pregnant!"

Rory was met with silence and the deafening realization that she just blurted out that she was pregnant over the phone.

"You're what?" he finally asked.

"I'm sorry I did that over the phone. I meant to set up a time for me to come to London, but you were kind of imploding over there and…and I told you life changing news. Over the phone. I just told you I was pregnant on the phone."

"Hang up," he said.

"What?"

"Hang up the phone, Ace."

"But-"

"Please hang up the phone."

Her stomach coiled tightly. "Okay. I'm hanging up now."

She clicked out of the call and stared at her phone. The background was her and Lorelai in New York, pre-Wookie. They were huddled in front of Katz Delicatessen, mouths pulled into wide grins. Rory's phone rang, Logan's number flashing for a FaceTime. Rory held her breath as she swiped into the call. She didn't know what to expect. Logan's face appeared on her phone, and she couldn't read his expression. She noticed he was sitting on his balcony.

"Why are you outside?" she said immediately. "It's November. Are you at least wearing a coat?"

"How are you feeling?" he asked, bowling right over her weather talk.

"I've been in London in fall. It's forty degrees. At least put a scarf on."

"Ace, I'm fine."

"What about a hat? I can already see the tips of your ears getting red."

He sighed and said, "Fine, hold on."

He disappeared from the screen and then returned with a plaid scarf wrapped around his neck. She could pick out the edges of a pea coat.

"Now tell me how you're feeling."

"Fine. Normal. It's pretty early, so I haven't noticed anything. Just, you know, I missed…so I took the test. But I'm fine."

"And it's…" he trailed off, clearly uncomfortable asking.

"Yes, it's yours," she said. "That part of my life has been pretty dry lately. Sahara dry. So, um, definitely yours."

He didn't say anything for a long while and she almost thought for a moment that the call had frozen, but then he said, "I'm coming to Stars Hollow."

"No, Logan –"

"You really think you can give me this news and I won't do anything?"

"You can do a lot, but just from London. You're planning a wedding. You can't just up and leave."

"Rory, you're having a baby. _My_ baby." He grinned at that, and it just about broke her heart. "We're having a baby. I never thought I'd say that and not want to throw up. But..."

"We're having a baby," Rory finished softly, ignoring the warmth that spread over her body at that statement. She needed to be practical about this.

"I'll take the earliest flight into Connecticut. How long will you be there? If you're going to be in New York I can go there, too."

"I'll be in Stars Hollow."

He nodded. "Okay. I'll call you when I figure out what flight I'll be on."

Rory nodded, not knowing what to say next. She had so many questions, but didn't know how to verbalize them next. She was too nervous for the answers.

"I'll see you soon, Ace."

"Bye Logan."

 **A/N: And that's a wrap on chapter one! Let me know if you'd like to see more! I tried to keep true to all the characters, flaws and all. Hopefully you enjoyed this! I'm planning for multiple chapters, all the way up to Baby G's birth.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: First off, the response to this story has been insane. Thank you all so much for your feedback. I am so happy the fandom is alive and well for this show. With that said, this chapter was like pulling teeth for me. The first scene came easily and then everything else...not so much. Hopefully it reads better than how it wrote!**

Chapter Two

Rory sat in a café in Woodbury, waiting for Logan. She avoided meeting him anywhere in Stars Hollow due to the fact that only a small circle of people were privy to her pregnancy in the small town. Once she'd made the decision to tell Logan, it didn't feel right to share the news with anyone else until she spoke with him in person. She crossed and uncrossed her legs nervously, wondering what it would be like to see him again with the baby elephant in the room. He looked excited on the phone, but what if that changed when they saw each other in person?

She didn't have too long to wallow with her worries, because Logan walked through the door, his eyes searching for her in the café. He tensed when he saw her, his body going still, but then he walked forward with purpose, stuffing a pair of gloves into his coat pocket. She stood nervously and before she could even say hello his arms were around her. He hugged her tightly, but then pulled back suddenly and said, "Shit, I don't want to –"

"There isn't much there yet," she said. "It just sort of looks like when I eat too much Chinese food."

Logan braced his hands on her waist and looked down at her stomach. There was just the slightest hint of a bump. It seemed to have sprung that morning.

"And you're still feeling –"

"Fine," she finished. "I'm still feeling fine." She noticed a few tables watching them and said, "We better sit down. We're drawing looks."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Of course."

Logan began to move toward his side of the table but then moved the other way suddenly, skirting around Rory to pull out her seat. "Oh, thanks. That's not really necessary, but thank you."

Logan settled into his seat and asked, "Do you know how far along you are?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I was planning on scheduling my first visit with an obstetrician this week."

"I want to be there."

"You don't have to."

"Don't start that," Logan said, shaking his head. "I'm going to be here for you, Ace. I have to be. We're in this together."

"Okay," she murmured. His resolve shouldn't thrill her as much as it did. She vowed to remain impartial, but it was becoming immediately clear that would be harder than she thought.

"Have you looked into doctors yet?"

Rory shook her head. "No. I was going to talk with Paris."

"What about Honor's?" he asked suddenly.

"Honor's what?"

"Her obstetrician. Her and Josh really liked her. She was a good mix of traditional and holistic. I can ask for the name."

"Are you sure you want your sister's obstetrician?" Rory asked carefully. "Aren't you afraid that people will, you know, talk?"

"I don't care about that stuff."

"Logan-"

"I'm not ashamed of this," Logan said resolutely. "This is…sudden and not at all what I expected to get a call about on a Friday night, but it is not something that I am ashamed of. And you shouldn't be either."

"I'm not," Rory said honestly. "I can't say I'm exactly looking forward to telling everyone, but I'm not ashamed."

"I'll call Honor after this and get the obstetrician's name."

"I should run her past Paris," Rory said. "If we don't, we'll hear about it probably for the rest of our child's life."

Logan chuckled. "That's fair."

A comfortable silence fell between them that was about to get a whole lot less comfortable. Rory took a large gulp of water before saying, "Logan, there's something else I need to talk to you about."

Logan looked surprised and said, "I don't quite know what you can tell me that will top last night, but I'm all ears."

"I'm happy that you want to be here. Really happy, actually. But I have a stipulation."

Logan smirked, "A stipulation?"

"Yes. I know that news like this takes a person off guard. It can make them act irrationally. I don't want that for you."

Logan's eyes narrowed, and he began, "Rory, what-"

"I want you to promise me that you will not call off your wedding."

"What?"

"Odette already knew about us. There's no reason that this needs to change anything."

"Ace, we're having a baby. How could it not change things?"

"It'll be an adjustment," she reasoned, trying to convince herself as much as him. "A big adjustment, but we'll handle it. I just don't want you to take this big life changing moment and irrationally make another. So, promise me. Please. Promise me that you will not call off your wedding."

"I can't promise you that," he said.

"Logan-"

"I know that's not what you want to hear," he continued, "but I won't promise you that. Neither of us knows what will happen next."

"You need to tell her."

"I already did."

Rory blinked rapidly. "You did? When?"

"Right after you told me," he said. "She wondered why I was frantically trying to find a flight to Connecticut."

"What did she say?"

"She congratulated me," Logan said with a shrug. "Which feels a bit weird. I didn't really do anything."

"She wasn't upset?"

Logan shook his head. "You know how we both view this marriage. It's business. We get married and my father's business gets a place in the French print sector. She actually was delighted at the prospect of you getting fat. Her words, not mine."

"I don't understand why she's so obsessed with my weight. She weighs less than me."

"Yes, with the help of a personal trainer and personal chef. You finish entire bags of chips in one sitting on a disturbingly regular basis."

"I probably shouldn't do that anymore," Rory said thoughtfully, hand absentmindedly going to her stomach. "I'm going to have to start eating vegetables now, aren't I?"

"For the sake of our kid being born with all of its parts, probably."

"Pregnancy is hard."

"This is only the beginning."

Rory swallowed hard, the truth in his statement ringing incredibly true in her ears.

"So, how long are you able to stay in Connecticut?"

"Just the weekend," Logan said. "I have a meeting with some investors on Monday."

"I still haven't told Luke," Rory said. "You may want to keep your distance for that reveal."

"We're both adults," Logan pointed out. "We don't need to hide from anyone."

"You may need to hide from Luke. I don't think he really ever got over finding us in that back room at my grandparent's vow renewal."

"It's up to you," Logan said. "If you want me there, I'll be there."

Rory selfishly considered it for a moment, drawn to the opportunity to have one more warm body in the room, but she knew this was something she needed to do on her own.

"I need to do this by myself," she said.

"I can go see Honor and Josh to get that obstetrician's name. I'm due for a visit with them, anyway."

Rory nodded. "Okay."

It felt like a natural moment for the two to part ways, but Rory found herself rooted to her seat. She welcomed this pregnancy, was grateful for it even, but she still felt hesitancy at the prospect of how much her life would change. When they left this café, those changes would really be set in motion. She'd tell Luke, and then the rest of the town would gradually find out, the finding out increasing steeply when either Ms. Patty or Babette learned the news. Logan would tell Honor and his family and then that whole world would find out. She'd gain an obstetrician and the inescapable label of Logan Huntzberger's mistress. So much for what happens in London stays in London.

"I think we have time for one cup of coffee," Logan said.

Her shoulders slackened with relief. "Okay, good."

Logan stood and said, "Please don't yell at me when I come back with decaf."

"I promise to only grumble under my breath."

He grinned. "I'll be right back."

* * *

Rory was in her childhood home, sitting at the same table where she studied for countless exams at Chilton and ate probably hundreds of Pop Tarts and drank probably thousands of cups of coffee, and her experiences at that particular table just kept growing, because now she was sitting across from her step-father and telling him that she was pregnant. Luke didn't respond for a moment, his face impassive as he processed the news.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Because there can be false positives. Your mom made me watch this Lifetime movie where-"

"It wasn't a false positive, babe," Lorelai said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Just listen to her, okay?"

"You're pregnant," he said slowly. "With a baby."

"Presumably with one of those. If not I'm a medical marvel," Rory joked lightly, hoping to break some of the tension in the room.

"When did you find out?" he asked Rory. He looked up at Lorelai and asked, "When did you?"

"I found out about a week ago," Rory said. "I told Mom after your wedding."

"It wasn't my news to tell," Lorelai told him. "She needed to do it in her own time."

"What about the father?" Luke asked. "Is it that guy you're seeing? Isn't his name Pete or something?"

"Paul," Rory corrected. "We're actually not together anymore, and no, it's not him."

"If it's not Pete-"

"Paul, babe," Lorelai corrected. "Why is he so hard to remember?"

"Sorry, Paul. If it's not Paul then who…" he trailed off, remembering how Jess had been in town. "You didn't…it's not…"

"Logan's the father," Rory said.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Wow, this is…how are you feeling? Are you resting enough? You look tired. Lorelai, doesn't she look tired?"

"I'm fine," Rory said, somewhat offended by her seemingly appearing so haggard. "To be honest, I feel pretty much the same."

"So, where's Logan? Did you tell him yet?"

Rory nodded. "He's in Hartford with his family telling them the news. And getting the name of his sister's obstetrician."

"If he's telling the Huntzbergers you should probably make a call," Lorelai said. "Your grandmother may love you unconditionally, but if she hears about your pregnancy from someone else she will hold that grudge at least until the kid is 18."

Rory nodded. "I was planning on calling her after this."

"So, are you happy?" Luke asked. "You seem happy."

"I am," Rory said. "This is good. It's not what I expected for my life right now. Not even close. But, it's good."

"Good." He hesitated for a moment before reaching forward and clumsily throwing his arms around her shoulders. "We'll be here for you – your mom and I – for whatever you need. I mean anything. Rides to doctor's visits. Support. Late night burger cravings. Whatever you need, we're your people, okay?"

Rory nodded, blinking back uncharacteristic tears.

"Pregnancy hormones," Lorelai said, tossing her a napkin. "Fair warning, they only get worse."

"Oh great," Rory said, laughing as she wiped at her eyes. "Something to look forward to."

"Want some company for that phone call to your grandmother?" Lorelai asked.

Rory shook her head. "I'll be fine. Maybe we can have some of those burgers afterwards?"

"Absolutely," Luke said. "I think we have some peach pie in the refrigerator, too."

"This guy must like you," Lorelai teased. "He usually hoards the peach pie for himself."

Luke looked up at her and said, "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you forgetting the reason why I needed to hide the pie?"

Lorelai shrugged and told Rory, "I may have taken to eating it in the bathtub."

"That sounds positively ingenious."

"You two are clearly mother and daughter," Luke deadpanned.

Rory stood up and said, "Okay, I am calling grandma."

"Don't let her talk you into getting a doctor out in Nantucket."

Rory grinned. "I won't."

She walked into her bedroom and closed the door. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and scrolled down to Emily's phone number. They spoke once a week since she moved away from Hartford, the phone call taking the place of their long gone Friday night dinners. Emily promptly answered after one ring, as she always did.

"Rory, what a surprise. How are you?"

"I'm good, thank you. How are you?"

"I'm marvelous. I'm working with Berta in the garden. You will not believe what we found planted over at the edge of the rose bushes. Do you remember the rose bushes?"

"I do," Rory said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "They are nice rose bushes."

"Anyway, over by the rose bushes we found one of those marijuana plants."

"You found a marijuana plant?" Rory asked in surprise.

"Yes! The leaves are actually quite fragrant."

"You probably shouldn't sniff them," Rory said slowly.

"I should have known the prior owners would be growing things like marijuana plants. I always thought the husband's Birkenstock shoes were telling."

"Sure, um, Grandma, I actually need to tell you something. Do you think you could go inside for a minute?"

"What's wrong?" Emily asked immediately.

"Nothing. Everything's fine. It's just – you may want to sit down."

"Rory-"

"Everything is fine," Rory repeated. "I promise. Just, tell me when you're sitting, okay?"

Emily hesitated for a moment and then said, "Alright, hold on."

Rory heard Emily tell Berta that she was going inside, and then the ambient outdoor noises silenced with the soft sound of doors closing.

"Okay, I'm seated. Now, tell me what is going on."

Rory took a deep breath and said, "Grandma, I'm going to have a baby."

Rory was met with silence and she gingerly asked, "Grandma? Are you still there?"

"You're pregnant," Emily said, the tone of her voice unreadable.

"Yes. I'm pregnant."

"How far along are you?"

"I haven't had my first doctor's appointment so I'm not completely sure, but I think about three or four weeks."

"I presume that Paul boy is the father?"

Leave it to Emily to be the one person to remember Rory's ex-boyfriend.

"No, actually. It's…" she paused, for some reason even more nervous to tell Emily this bit of information than the actual pregnancy, "…Logan is the father."

"Logan?" Emily asked, her voice going higher. "I didn't know you two were in contact anymore."

"I saw him when I was in London," Rory said. "I, um, I actually stayed with him. We sort of reconnected."

"I take it he finally broke off his engagement with that awful French heiress? Odette. Ghastly name."

"You met her?" Rory asked in surprise.

"Yes, her and Logan were at a charity function last year. I thought it may upset you, so I didn't mention it. Anyway, he is better off without her. She was about as interesting as a cream puff."

"They're still engaged," Rory said quickly. "I asked him not to make any rash decisions."

"And he listened?"

"Well, no," Rory admitted. "But as of now they are still engaged."

"You sound happy," Emily noted. "Are you happy?"

"I am. It feels right."

"Then I am happy for you," Emily said. "You're going to make a remarkable mother, Rory."

"Thank you, Grandma."

Emily paused for a moment and then said, "You know, some of the world's best obstetricians are in Nantucket…"

* * *

Logan returned to Stars Hollow after sharing his news with his family. Honor and Josh had been predictably ecstatic at the news, Honor murmuring in his ear, "This is your chance to get it right, little brother."

Mitchum and Shira showed less enthusiasm, but it was a sign of Shira's grudging acceptance that she told him, "Tell Rory to try oyster crackers if she starts getting morning sickness. I lived on those when I was pregnant with you."

Mitchum, always the pragmatist, clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Congratulations, son. I hope we can agree that this won't interfere with current plans, yeah?"

"Rory and our baby are my focus now," Logan returned firmly. "Not your business prospects."

"They're your prospects, too, son," Mitchum reminded him, gregarious tone cut with a sharp edge. "That's the deal we made when I bought you out of your last failed business venture."

Logan left his childhood home feeling the same sense of discontent and anger that usually accompanied visits with his family, but he could feel the negative emotions stripping away as he drove closer to Stars Hollow. The town didn't seem to have changed since he was last there all those years ago. It maybe seemed a bit larger, like the little town that could finally grew up.

Logan still knew his way to her house. The path was seared into his brain as permanently as his own home. He remembered how special it felt going there for the first time back during their Yale years. He finally got to see the home that made her into the incredible woman he fell in love with, and it did not disappoint. The town and her home were just as warm and quirky as she was. Although, they hadn't been quite as welcoming.

This time, Logan felt somewhat earned in his return. He had his own anchor in Stars Hollow now. This place could be another home, and it felt right. Logan parked his car in front of the Gilmore house and walked up the front steps. He knocked on the door and Rory answered a few moments later. Her hand curled tightly around the edge of the door and she asked, "How was it?"

"Okay. How was it for you?"

"Okay," she echoed. "My grandma wants me to get an obstetrician in Nantucket."

"Naturally."

She stepped back to let him in and he walked past her, hand grazing her arm as he passed. The door closed behind him.

 **A/N: And that's a wrap on chapter two! Let me know if you'd like to see more!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Real life became a bit chaotic. Hope you enjoy this!**

Chapter Three

Rory sat in the waiting room at Dynasty Makers, idly flipping through an article about something called Bento box lunches in a parenting magazine. She paused on a tutorial of how to make tiny turkeys out of grape tomatoes and cheddar cheese. She moved on to the tutorial below for Mickey Mouse cantaloupe bites using something called a melon baller.

"I'm going to need to get more kitchen equipment," Rory murmured to herself.

"Don't even start on that crack," the woman next to her said, pointing at the magazine. "One minute you're cutting your kid's sandwich into a star and the next you're trying to recreate the Mona Lisa using only cheese."

"That does sound dangerous."

"Will this be your first?" she asked.

Rory nodded. "Yeah. It sounds like you already have kids?"

The woman grinned. "Yes. One beautiful boy, thanks to this office. I apparently have a hostile uterus. Anyway, I'm trying for a complete pair now."

"A complete pair?" Rory questioned.

"Boy and girl," the woman explained easily.

"Oh. Right. But, um, I'm actually not here for an appointment. I'm just meeting the owner for lunch."

As if on cue, Paris strode out of her back office with her characteristic air of self-importance and impatience. She stopped in front of Rory and said, "My incompetent assistant scheduled an appointment at 1:00, so we'll have to make lunch quick."

Rory glanced behind Paris and saw said assistant shaking nervously in the doorway of the office.

"That's fine. I have a lot of errands to run this afternoon anyway."

"Alright. We better get going." Paris headed toward the doorway and tossed back to her assistant, "Kelly, make sure everything is ready for that 1:00 appointment unless you miss delivering celery sticks to seventeen year olds at Buffalo Wild Wings."

Rory stood and the woman beside her said, "Best of luck to you with your pregnancy."

Rory blanched, glancing back to see if Paris heard. Luckily, her friend was already outside. Rory turned her attention back to the woman and quickly said, "Thanks, same to you. I hope you complete your pair."

Rory walked out of the office and nearly walked directly into Paris, who wore a distinct expression of betrayal similar to the one she wore when Rory offhandedly told her that she was impressed by Doyle's new Hollywood career.

"You're pregnant," Paris said, her tone accusing.

"Yes, I –"

"Who did it? New Hope? Fertility Specialists? Dr. Horowitz and Associates?!"

"No one did it," Rory told her, working toward a calm tone.

"Well, Dynasty Makers sure as hell didn't. So, who was it?"

Rory took a deep breath. "Logan Huntzberger."

Paris blinked rapidly and asked, "When did he get into the fertility business?"

"Well, uh, it usually was after the Graham Norton show and a glass of Merlot. But we always used protection. I think this can be attributed to a night of tango dancing and the Life & Death Brigade. It was about a month and a half ago. The whole night was sort of a pipe dream. And that pipe dream did not include condoms."

"You got pregnant from one night of unprotected sex?" Paris said appraisingly. "You know, if your book plans stall –"

"I'm not going to be a surrogate, Paris."

"We pay well."

"Still not happening."

Paris sighed. "Your loss. So, Huntzberger, huh? Did he pass out when you told him?"

"No, he was actually really good with it all. Immediately booked a flight to Connecticut."

"Are you to together now?"

Rory shook her head. "No, we're just…I don't know. We're two people about to have a baby?"

Paris nodded. "Anyway, I see why you scheduled this lunch and the answer is yes. I would be honored to be your obstetrician."

Rory blanched at the image of Paris between her legs.

"Oh, Paris. No. That's really nice of you, but Logan and I were actually looking at Dr. Berkowitz. He was Honor's obstetrician and –"

"Absolutely not," Paris interrupted. "Dr. Berkowitz is a hack. I'm half convinced that he printed his medical license off of the internet. I am the best in the business."

"I just think we want someone - " she saw Paris' raised eyebrows and quickly corrected with, " _I_ want someone that I don't know as well. It would make me more comfortable."

Paris considered this for a moment and then said, "I understand your position. I disagree with it, but I understand. Come on, let's get lunch and I can give you names of obstetricians who aren't complete idiots. It's a short list, but there are some."

* * *

Rory sat on the train back to Connecticut and updated Logan on her lunch with Paris. He went back to London the night before, reluctantly returning to his work and Odette. Admittedly, Rory was sad to see him leave, as well, but she would never tell him that.

"Apparently Dr. Berkowitz is a hack," Rory told him.

"Honor's kids seem okay."

"A fluke, according to Paris," Rory said. "She gave me a few names of obstetricians in the area, including herself."

Logan laughed. "Paris wants to be your obstetrician?"

"She was oddly insistent," Rory said. "Anyway, the other names sound good."

"Send them to me," Logan said. "Unless you're set on one."

"I'm not. My only criteria is not Paris."

"That seems fair."

"So, how is London? Nice and rainy?"

"Like straight out of a BBC miniseries," Logan returned. "How are you feeling?"

Rory smirked. "About the same as when you texted me this morning."

"I stand by my texts," Logan said. "I don't want to miss any moments, Ace."

"I know you don't."

She heard someone talking on Logan's end of the phone call and then he said, "Shit, I'm sorry, Ace. I have to go. Send me those names, okay?"

"I will."

"And if anything happens –"

"You will be my first call. Now, go publish things."

She could hear the grin in his voice when he said, "Alright. Bye, Ace."

"Bye Logan."

* * *

Logan walked out of his office and raked his fingers through his hair. His 5:00 appointment stood in his building's lobby, looking as put together as always in her simple shift dress and high-heeled boots. Odette was many things, and well dressed was at the top of that list. She was on the phone, her clipped French tone reaching him before her green eyes. She gave him an apologetic look, holding up on slim finger as she finished up her call. He learned a bit of French since they got together a year ago, but all he was able to catch of her conversation was her irritation and the word salmon.

"Do you understand the difference between salmon and dover sole?" she asked after she hung up. "Because the caterer I just spoke to apparently does not."

"Of course I know the difference. I'm a Huntzberger," he said, pressing his lips to her cheek briefly.

"You know, you wield your name almost as much as my father does his," Odette said. She patted his cheek affectionately and said, "That's not a compliment."

"Hey, I didn't mean it in a good way. You think a ten year old really wants to be schooled on different types of fish?"

"I think it depends on the ten year old," she returned.

"I made us reservations at Soldi for dinner," he said. She made a face and he said, "But we can go somewhere else?"

"Do you mind if we order in? Today has been shit."

"Everything okay?"

She shrugged. "I got in a fight with Helen this morning. And now, I have this salmon debacle to deal with. I think I just need dinner on a couch."

"That can be arranged," he said. "What happened with Helen?"

"She read that article about us in the New York Times last week. She wasn't pleased."

"I can't blame her. That piece failed to capture our true essence as a couple," he said, attempting some levity.

Odette smirked. "Oh yes. The part about my English girlfriend and your pregnant American ex-girlfriend must have been left on the cutting room floor."

"Helen will come around. She knows what you're dealing with."

Odette nodded, mouth pulled into a frown. She linked her arm with his and said, "Can you imagine a world where we weren't indebted to our asshole parents?"

"We could just say screw it," Logan said, wistful but not entirely ruling out the possibility.

"We'd be cut off in a second," she said. "You know that. And neither of us can afford that right now."

"You really think our families would come after us?"

"We were both conditionally bought out of the shit storms we got ourselves into," Odette reminded him. "Our wedding was part of the deal. A marriage of two honorable families, remember?"

"How could I forget?" he said in a low voice. "The dynastic plan proving just how archaic and fucked up it is in equal measure."

"We're stuck together," Odette said. "For better or worse, unless we want to bring on the wrath of both of our families and their well-compensated attorneys."

"Part of me wonders if it'd be worth it," he said, thinking of Rory.

"Are you serious?" Odette said. She looked up at him, expression stricken. "Wait, you are serious. Logan –"

"Wouldn't you rather actually be with someone you like instead of me?" he pressed.

"I like you!"

"You know what I mean."

"And you know I can't," Odette said, somewhat forcefully.

"Look, I talked to Rory about us when all of this started, and –"

"You told her about Helen?"

"No, of course not," he said quickly. "I promised you that I wouldn't."

Odette took a deep breath. "Let's just go eat dinner. We'll talk about this later."

He wanted to talk about it now, but could tell that he wouldn't get anywhere.

"Okay," he said. "We'll talk about it later."

 _TWO WEEKS LATER_

Logan and Rory sat in the doctor's office, listening to their obstetrician, Dr. Reynolds, who was thoroughly vetted by Paris, take them through a dizzying amount of information regarding the first trimester. Dr. Reynolds noticed the somewhat glazed expression on both of their faces and said, "It's a lot of information to take in."

"You could say that," Rory said, her nerves pulled tightly. She looked over at Logan and asked, "Did you digest a bit of that?"

"A bit," he echoed. "That's probably not enough, right?"

"That's what the pamphlets are for," Dr. Reynolds told him. "You both seem like very nice and smart people. You will do fine. Are we ready for the ultrasound?"

"Yes, absolutely," Rory said, putting more confidence in her voice than she truly felt. For some reason, it felt like the ultrasound made all of this real. The baby wouldn't be a vague notion, but an image on a sonogram.

"Okay, then let's lean back."

Rory felt her heart beat quicken when Dr. Reynolds opened the hospital gown a bit and gently spread a cold gel over her abdomen. He pressed the transducer over her abdomen and changed the placement slightly before saying, "Ah, there you are."

"Where?" Rory said leaning forward. The transducer slipped down her abdomen, and the image shifted. "Where'd it go? What just happened?"

"I think you need to lay still," Logan said, laying a hand on her shoulder. Dr. Reynolds moved the transducer and the same image as before appeared on the monitor. It was a collection of shadows and shapes that Rory couldn't even begin to decipher. Dr. Reynolds pointed to an area at the center of the monitor and said, "That's your baby right here. And…" he pressed a button and suddenly Rory's ears were filled with the sound of her baby's heart beat.

Rory reached blindly for Logan's hand only to find that he was also reaching for her. She held his hand tightly to her chest.

"That's our baby," she murmured, unable to take her eyes away from the monitor. "That's our baby, Logan."

Logan nodded wordlessly, eyes trained on the image. He remembered when Honor and Josh were pregnant, and they had the sonogram posted on their refrigerator. He didn't understand the compulsion to show off the indecipherable shadows and shapes then. What was the point? He understood now. He understood more than he'd ever understood anything.

"Can we have a copy of that?" Logan asked. "I'd like a few. Rory, do you-"

"Yes, I want one. More than one, actually. My mom and Luke will probably want one. And my grandma."

"I'll give you a good stack's worth," Dr. Reynolds said. "And I can make you a recording of the heartbeat, too. Some parents like that."

"Yes please," Rory said. "Thank you."

"Okay, I will get those printed," Dr. Reynolds said, removing the transducer from Rory's stomach. He grabbed a tissue and wiped the gel from her abdomen. "You can get dressed."

Rory sat up, feeling shaky and elated at the same time. She still held Logan's hand, and when she looked up at him she saw the same wonderment mirrored in his eyes.

"This is really happening," Rory murmured.

"I know. It really is happening."

Rory grinned, and the expression went all the way to her eyes. She let go of his hand and said, "I should change. Do you mind…"

"No, not at all. I'll be right outside."

Rory nodded. "Okay."

Logan left and she hopped down to the ground. She quickly changed into her clothes, and after she tugged her shirt down she laid her hand on the soft swell of her belly. Glancing quickly at the door, she sat back down and brought her other hand to her stomach.

"Hey kid. It's me. Your mom. I just saw you and you were pretty amazing. Blob-like, but amazing." She let out a shaky breath. "I don't really know what I'm doing yet, but I promise to learn by the time you get here. So, you just stay safe inside there, okay?"

There was a knock on the door and Rory looked up, startled. She stood up and said, "Come in."

Logan walked in with an envelope in his hand. "Are you ready?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah. I'm ready."

 **A/N: And that's a wrap on chapter three!**


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